Huon Hooke – 'Light straw-yellow colour. The aromas are superbly fresh and intense, youthful and bright, with herb and lemon aromas of real charm. The palate is juicy and ripe, fresh and clean and bright, with delicious lemon and herb and a compelling juiciness. It's fresh, youthful, reserved and not at all austere or tight. The acidity is perfectly balanced, the wine is eminently drinkable now and will certainly age well. A seriously good young semillon.' 95 points - Huon Hooke, Therealreview.com

James Halliday – "A 52/48% blend of Hunter Valley and McLaren Vale (Blewitt Springs) fruit. The two components are separately fermented but blended soon after the end of fermentation; matured for 16 months in French hogsheads. A fascinating blend, with major synergy, as each component takes centre stage, but the dusty/chocolate/fine/savoury notes prevail. This is a mighty $25 wine." - James Halliday (Halliday Wine Companion)

James Halliday – Top 100 Wines of the Year - "The Braemore Vineyard was planted in 1969 on sandy alluvial flats, the Cellar Reserve Semillon not released until six years old. A seriously delicious semillon, lime leaf to the fore, then polished acidity, balance, line, length and purity." - James Halliday (The Weekend Australian)

James Halliday –

James Halliday – “Taut. Playful. Fruit-focused and bright. A wine for Friday night pasta and Sunday barbecues. Wild cherries. Classical tones." - Toni Paterson, The Wine Companion

The Wine Front – “Mostly dark fruit with pepper and dark chocolate. Just a hint of vanilla, sage, peppermint and a sweet note of a ripe raspberry. There’s something simple and pure about this wine, it just hits the spot. It’s energetic with bright acidity and a distinctly bitter finish. Bitter like fruit skin and ground coffee. The good bitter. There’s a fair bit of drying powdery tannin, too. Even though it could use a bit more time in bottle, it’s cohesive and entirely pleasant now.” - Kasia Sobiesiak, The Wine Front

James Halliday – “Any red wine of the 2021 vintage is by definition better than any offering from ’20, it with no more than a handful of Hunter Valley shiraz wines that dared to make the point. This is a wine with a 20-plus year future, firm, earthy black fruits not requiring a 'thank god' finish.” - James Halliday, Halliday Wine Companion 202

The Wine Front – “It’s meaty and fragrant. Wow, the taste, the mouthfeel is impressive. It’s full in flavour but subtle and it builds it up towards the end. Raspberries, blood, rosemary, sage, dark chocolate with caramel bits and salt flakes. The structure is complete with the front perfume, mid-palate weight and a long finale, it has velvety tannins, firm acidity and plush, fleshy body. So very well made, pure fruit and poise.” - Kasia Sobiesiak, The Wine Front

James Halliday – "A single-vineyard shiraz made from the fruit of 53-year-old vines; hand-picked and cold soaked for 48 hours, spending a further 9 days on skins, matured for 16 months in French hogsheads (25% new). Release May ’23 after further maturation in bottle. Lovely hue and depth, the bouquet full of plum and blackberry verging on outright perfume, the palate taking no prisoners with its power and purity, the aftertaste long lasting. Sheer class, and not afraid to flaunt its wares." - James Halliday, Halliday Wine Companion 2024

James Halliday – "From old vines on the Pokolbin Estate vineyard, the Kiss label is the flagship of Thomas Wines, made simply to focus on the quality of the grapes, albeit with some new oak support. Many of the '17 Hunter Valley shirazes have 'closed, call back later' signs plastered on them - not this wine, it welcomes you to taste it, lips generously open." - James Halliday, Winecompanion.com.au

The Wine Front – “Smells serious. Layers of oak spice, elegant, balancing on savoury and sweet. Violets and cherry blossoms, plums and blackberries. Velvety rose petals. The texture is velvety too with fine building tannins and a bitter fold right after subtle, succulent sweetness. Fresh black pepper spice comes at the end and tingles in the front palate. Very elegant expression that will cellar well and merge all the nuances smoothly with more time.” - Kasia Sobiesiak, The Wine Front

James Halliday – “A blend of Kiss and Sweetwater Shiraz taken from selected barrels of each wine, and matured in French hogsheads (35% new). Excellent colour, with a savoury/spicy edge to the fruit. Its palate drives the core of the wine, with purple and black fruits before a return of some savoury notes to the finish. Decades of life for a very high-quality wine. Aspires to and achieves elegance.” - James Halliday, winecompanion.com.au

James Suckling – “A very complex shiraz with sweet green tobacco, green olives and plums on both the nose and palate. Medium-bodied with a solid core of fruit, fine tannins and bright acidity. Vivid and focused. Very Cote-Rotie inspired here. Fine and vivid. Drink or hold.”- James Suckling, jamessuckling.com

The Wine Front – “Herbal lemon tea, a hint of wax, underripe melon skin, fresh chamomile, satin cool and lacy texture. There’s something minty underneath and it carries that little tightly packed flavour package that no doubt will develop into something even more beautiful in future but what a refreshing and layered drink it is in its youth.” - Kasia Sobiesiak, The Wine Front

James Halliday – PJ Charteris spent the better part of a decade at Brokenwood, and tasted countless semillons, reflected in the fragrant bouquet and the juicy palate with lime and Meyer lemon nuances, the length impeccable. James Halliday, Halliday Wine Companion 2023